Chris Krebs: Changes to Twitter will "create a very chaotic environment"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs said Sunday on "Face the Nation" that Twitter's $7.99 monthly subscription service could sow discord ahead of the upcoming midterms by opening up the platform to a "broader community of influencers, clout chasers, election denialists."
Driving the news: The Twitter Blue subscription will now offer blue checkmarks — typically a sign of credibility — to new users signing up for the platform, according to an Apple app store update issued Saturday.
- It's not yet clear if Twitter Blue subscribers will have their identities verified, or what will happen to existing blue checkmarks on previously verified accounts.
What he's saying: "We've seen reports lately of Russia, China and Iran back at their old tricks," Krebs replied when asked by host Margaret Brennan if the platform would also be susceptible to foreign actors.
- "It is going to create a very chaotic environment."
The big picture: Krebs said that while the platform hasn't seen "too much of a change in the moderation" since Elon Musk's acquisition, the launch of Twitter Blue could change that.
- In his first week at the helm, Musk has laid off thousands of employees and scared away more advertisers, Axios' Hope King writes.
- Last week Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called for an investigation into the national security implications of a company partially owned by Saudi Arabia maintaining its stake in Twitter.
- Krebs on Sunday acknowledged the possibility of such a probe by the Committee on Foreign Investment, saying, "that is something that I'm assuming the Treasury Department is taking a look at right now — see if they can put in place a national security agreement or even potentially unwind the purchase."
Go deeper: Finding the truth on Twitter could get much harder
